Sure-seal cleanout conduit valve assemblies and methods

Abstract

Cleanout conduit valve assemblies for a cleanout conduit may include a vertically oriented valve housing. The valve housing may include a valve inlet end configured to be disposed in fluid communication with the cleanout conduit and a valve discharge end opposite to and generally above the valve inlet end. The valve discharge end may be oriented within a valve discharge plane disposed at a discharge angle of greater than 0 degrees with respect to a horizontal plane. The valve discharge end may have an upper discharge opening side and a lower discharge opening side sloped downwardly from the upper discharge opening side. A valve body may be pivotally carried by the valve housing at the upper discharge opening side of the valve discharge end. Methods of preventing precipitation and runoff on a ground surface from entering a cleanout conduit connected to a sewer service line are also disclosed.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of preventing precipitation and runoff on a ground surface from entering a cleanout conduit connected to a sewer service line, comprising:
 obtaining a cleanout conduit valve assembly including:
 a vertically oriented valve housing having a valve housing wall comprising:
 a valve inlet end; 
 a valve discharge end opposite to and generally above the valve inlet end; and 
 an interior valve housing wall surface extending from the valve inlet end to the valve discharge end, the interior valve housing wall surface perpendicular to the valve discharge end, the valve discharge end oriented within a valve discharge plane disposed at a discharge angle of greater than 0 degrees with respect to a horizontal plane and having an uppermost discharge opening side and a lowermost discharge opening side sloped downwardly from the uppermost discharge opening side, the valve discharge end having a non-beveled, terminal inner wall edge defining a sharp transition between the valve discharge end and the interior valve housing wall surface; and 
 
 a valve body pivotally carried by the valve housing along a horizontal pivot axis exclusively at the uppermost discharge opening side of the valve discharge end and positional in a closed position and an open position, the valve body having an interior valve body surface having a diameter less than a diameter of the inner wall edge, an exterior valve body surface having a diameter greater than the diameter of the inner wall edge and a uniformly beveled sealing surface extending from the interior valve body surface to the exterior valve body surface, the uniformly beveled sealing surface uniformly engaging the inner wall edge of the valve discharge end in the closed position of the valve body, whereby the inner wall edge is configured to cut debris trapped between the valve discharge end of the valve housing and the valve body and establish and maintain a uniform and consistent seal in the closed position of the valve body; and 
 coupling the valve inlet end of the valve housing to the cleanout conduit. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1  wherein obtaining the cleanout conduit valve assembly including the valve body pivotally carried by the valve housing comprises obtaining the cleanout conduit valve assembly including the valve body normally maintained solely by influence of gravity in a closed position sealing the valve discharge end and openable against gravity to an open position unsealing the valve discharge end. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1  wherein obtaining the cleanout conduit valve assembly having the valve body pivotally carried by the valve housing comprises obtaining the cleanout conduit valve assembly having a valve plug including the interior valve body surface, the exterior valve body surface and the uniformly beveled sealing surface extending from the interior valve body surface to the exterior valve body surface pivotally carried by the valve housing. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1  wherein obtaining the cleanout conduit valve assembly having the valve discharge end oriented within the valve discharge plane disposed at the discharge angle of greater than 0 degrees with respect to the horizontal plane comprises obtaining the cleanout conduit valve assembly having the valve discharge end oriented within a valve discharge plane disposed at a discharge angle of at least about 10 degrees with respect to the horizontal plane. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1  wherein obtaining the cleanout conduit valve assembly having the valve body pivotally carried by the valve housing comprises obtaining the cleanout conduit valve assembly having a valve hinge pivotally attaching the valve body to the valve housing. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1  wherein obtaining the cleanout conduit valve assembly having the valve body pivotally carried by the valve housing comprises obtaining the cleanout conduit valve assembly having a flexible valve connector pivotally attaching the valve body to the valve housing. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1  wherein obtaining the cleanout conduit valve assembly including the vertically oriented valve housing comprises obtaining the cleanout conduit valve assembly including the vertically oriented valve housing having the valve inlet end of the valve housing disposed within a horizontal valve inlet plane. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1  wherein obtaining the cleanout conduit valve assembly including the vertically oriented valve housing comprises obtaining the cleanout conduit valve assembly including the vertically oriented valve housing having the valve housing wall forming an inlet housing segment, a discharge housing segment disposed at the discharge angle to the inlet housing segment and an angled intermediate housing segment connecting the discharge housing segment to the inlet housing segment, and the valve inlet end terminates the inlet housing segment and the valve discharge end terminates the discharge housing segment of the valve housing. 
     
     
       9. A method of preventing precipitation and runoff on a ground surface from entering a cleanout conduit connected to a sewer service line and extending within a subterranean cleanout conduit hole, comprising:
 obtaining a cleanout conduit valve assembly including:
 a vertically oriented valve housing having a valve housing wall comprising:
 a valve inlet end; 
 a valve discharge end opposite to and generally above the valve inlet end; and 
 an interior valve housing wall surface extending from the valve inlet end to the valve discharge end, the interior valve housing wall surface perpendicular to the valve discharge end, the valve discharge end oriented within a valve discharge plane disposed at a discharge angle of from about 35 degrees to about 55 degrees with respect to a horizontal plane and having an uppermost discharge opening side and a lower discharge opening side sloped downwardly from the uppermost discharge opening side, the valve discharge end having a non-beveled terminal inner wall edge defining a sharp transition between the valve discharge end and the interior valve housing wall surface; and 
 
 a valve body having a weight of at least about 1.0 lb, pivotally carried by the valve housing along a horizontal pivot axis exclusively at the uppermost discharge opening side of the valve discharge end and positional in a closed position and an open position, the valve body including an interior valve body surface having a diameter less than a diameter of the inner wall edge, an exterior valve body surface having a diameter greater than the diameter of the inner wall edge and a uniformly beveled sealing surface extending from the interior valve body surface to the exterior valve body surface, the valve body normally maintained solely by influence of gravity in the closed position sealing the valve discharge end and openable against gravity to the open position unsealing the valve discharge end, the uniformly beveled sealing surface uniformly engaging the inner wall edge of the valve discharge end in the closed position of the valve body, whereby the inner wall edge is configured to cut debris trapped between the valve discharge end of the valve housing and the valve body and establish and maintain a uniform and consistent seal in the closed position of the valve body; and 
 
 coupling the valve inlet end of the valve housing to the cleanout conduit. 
 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9  wherein obtaining the cleanout conduit valve assembly including the valve body pivotally carried by the valve housing comprises obtaining the cleanout conduit valve assembly including the valve body normally maintained solely by influence of gravity in a closed position sealing the valve discharge end and openable against gravity to an open position unsealing the valve discharge end. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 9  wherein obtaining the cleanout conduit valve assembly having the valve body pivotally carried by the valve housing comprises obtaining the cleanout conduit valve assembly having valve plug including the interior valve body surface, the exterior valve body surface and the uniformly beveled sealing surface extending from the interior valve body surface to the exterior valve body surface pivotally carried by the valve housing. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 9  wherein obtaining the cleanout conduit valve assembly having the valve discharge end oriented within the valve discharge plane disposed at the discharge angle of from about 35 degrees to about 55 degrees with respect to the horizontal plane comprises obtaining the cleanout conduit valve assembly having the valve discharge end oriented within a valve discharge plane disposed at a discharge angle of about 45 degrees with respect to the horizontal plane. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 9  wherein obtaining the cleanout conduit valve assembly having the valve body pivotally carried by the valve housing comprises obtaining the cleanout conduit valve assembly having a valve hinge pivotally attaching the valve body to the valve housing. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 9  wherein obtaining the cleanout conduit valve assembly having the valve body pivotally carried by the valve housing comprises obtaining the cleanout conduit valve assembly having a flexible valve connector pivotally attaching the valve body to the valve housing. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 9  wherein obtaining the cleanout conduit valve assembly including the vertically oriented valve housing comprises obtaining the cleanout conduit valve assembly including the vertically oriented valve housing having the valve inlet end of the valve housing disposed within a horizontal valve inlet plane. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 9  wherein obtaining the cleanout conduit valve assembly including the vertically oriented valve housing comprises obtaining the cleanout conduit valve assembly including the vertically oriented valve housing having a valve housing wall forming an inlet housing segment, a discharge housing segment disposed at the discharge angle to the inlet housing segment and an angled intermediate housing segment connecting the discharge housing segment to the inlet housing segment, and the valve inlet end terminates the inlet housing segment and the valve discharge end terminates the discharge housing segment of the valve housing. 
     
     
       17. A cleanout conduit valve assembly for a cleanout conduit, comprising:
 a vertically oriented valve housing having a valve housing wall including:
 a valve inlet end configured to be disposed in fluid communication with the cleanout conduit; 
 a valve discharge end opposite to and generally above the valve inlet end; and 
 an interior valve housing wall surface extending from the valve inlet end to the valve discharge end, the interior valve housing wall surface perpendicular to the valve discharge end, the valve discharge end oriented within a valve discharge plane disposed at a discharge angle of greater than 0 degrees and less than 90 degrees with respect to a horizontal plane and having an uppermost discharge opening side and a lowermost discharge opening side sloped downwardly from the uppermost discharge opening side, the valve discharge end having a non-beveled, terminal inner wall edge defining a sharp transition between the valve discharge end and the interior valve housing wall surface; and 
 
 a valve body having a weight of at least about 1.0 lb, pivotally carried by the valve housing along a horizontal pivot axis exclusively at the uppermost discharge opening side of the valve discharge end and positional in a closed position and an open position, the valve body including an interior valve body surface having a diameter less than a diameter of the inner wall edge, an exterior valve body surface having a diameter greater than the diameter of the inner wall edge and a uniformly beveled sealing surface extending from the interior valve body surface to the exterior valve body surface, the uniformly beveled sealing surface engaging the inner wall edge of the valve discharge end in the closed position of the valve body, whereby the inner wall edge is configured to cut debris trapped between the valve discharge end of the valve housing and the valve body and establish and maintain a uniform and consistent seal in the closed position of the valve body. 
 
     
     
       18. The cleanout conduit valve assembly of  claim 17  wherein the valve body is normally maintained solely by influence of gravity in a closed position sealing the valve discharge end and openable against gravity to an open position unsealing the valve discharge end. 
     
     
       19. The cleanout conduit valve assembly of  claim 17  wherein the valve body comprises a valve plug having the interior valve body surface, the exterior valve body surface and the uniformly beveled sealing surface extending from the interior valve body surface to the exterior valve body surface. 
     
     
       20. The cleanout conduit valve assembly of  claim 17  wherein the discharge angle is at least about 10 degrees.